The School for Scandal
Closed 2h 30m
The School for Scandal
84

The School for Scandal NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%
(74 Ratings)
Positive
96%
Mixed
3%
Negative
1%
Members say
Funny, Clever, Great acting, Delightful, Entertaining

About the Show

Red Bull Theater presents Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 18th century comic masterpiece about a world without privacy, morality, or taste.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (74)

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995 Reviews | 948 Followers
87
Delightful, Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Fun

See it if you like timeless Restoration comedy done superbly. Great acting and clever staging. Smart plot, large cast, fast paced & fun.

Don't see it if you have trouble following old(er) English (not nearly Shakespearian) dialogue. It might be a bit of work.

57 Reviews | 20 Followers
87
Entertaining, Funny, Great writing, Fluffy, Quirky

See it if You enjoy a witty old school play with huge wigs, exaggerated characters and amusing one-liners.

Don't see it if You are not a fan of British comedies with a focus on manners and gossip.

52 Reviews | 13 Followers
82
Clever, Entertaining, Great acting, Funny, Refreshing

See it if Older plays interest you; this is a great revival of a play from the late 1700s, and an excellent staging of a complicated comedy.

Don't see it if Modern shows are your thing; the text is unchanged from the 18th century. However, the great actors help bring the story to the forefront.

133 Reviews | 35 Followers
81
Clever, Delightful, Entertaining, Funny, Great acting

See it if A lively. well paced production with excellent acting by all including Dana Ivey, Mark Linn-Baker. Handsomely mounted and so entertaining!

Don't see it if the great classics don't appeal.

184 Reviews | 30 Followers
81
Clever, Funny, Great acting, Ambitious

See it if Well staged and very entertaining classic. A must for theater students.

Don't see it if You're not familiar with English. Not for tourists.

99 Reviews | 21 Followers
80
Clever, Delightful, Entertaining, Great acting, Funny

See it if you'd enjoy a great stylized restoration comedy of manners with superb acting.

Don't see it if you would not like a period comedy which is all about style over substance and do not appreciate masterful performances.

don
506 Reviews | 1005 Followers
80
Clever, Quirky, Romantic, Great acting

See it if Red Bull always comes through with superior acting. Alas, I am not a lover of restoration comedy. A great job though

Don't see it if if farce is not your cup of tea.

138 Reviews | 38 Followers
80
Delightful, Hilarious, Great acting, Entertaining

See it if You like "classical" comedy, performed with intelligence, energy and contemporary attitude. Design elements clever and part of the fun.

Don't see it if If costume drama ain't your thang. But if it is, see this.

Critic Reviews (25)

Theater Pizzazz
April 24th, 2016

"This funny and clever tattletale, gossipy play, is brimming with theatricality and a larger-than-life cast of characters...Deliciously directed by Marc Vietor...It’s all cloak-and-dagger, tongue-in-cheek humor in Molière-esque drawing-room style, where morality has significantly lapsed as we watch the ultimate rumor-mongers ply their trade in the most spiteful ways...'The School for Scandal' will keep you laughing with delightfully scandalous merriment."
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Stage Buddy
April 25th, 2016

"This is hardly a perfect rendition. I wish that director Marc Vietor had more fully trusted Sheridan’s writing...Several of the actors behave as though their characters were living in one of the zanier districts of Toontown...Between the extremes of hysteria and enervation, fortunately, are actors who know how to play Sheridan’s brand of comedy and make it both amusing and identifiably human...It is a hodgepodge with some stellar moments."
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New York Theater
April 25th, 2016

“Direction by Marc Vietor puts a premium on clarity and pace, the entire design team adds whimsy to the proceedings, and an impressive cast...The text that Red Bull Theater uses is one that is both accessible to modern ears and attuned to modern New York sensibilities. It is scrubbed of the subtle anti-Semitism the play is often accused of...But the language and plotting are still from the 18th century, and require more attentiveness than, say, 'Gossip Girl.'”
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Theatre's Leiter Side
April 27th, 2016

"Director Marc Vietor’s production is generally faithful; it moves swiftly, and has an attractive setting by Anna Louizos that captures the 18th-century ambience. It’s good to see any local production of this great play, even if its production is marred by this or that misstep, but it’s painful to see it manhandled for no good reason by completely changing the nature of two principal characters. Just think what Mrs. Candour or Lady Sneerwell would make of that in their school for scandal!"
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The Huffington Post
April 26th, 2016

"Sheridan’s always deliciously nasty 1777 'The School for Scandal' as directed pretty much flawlessly by Marc Vietor...By today’s standards of the well-made play 'The School for Scandal' is the slightest bit disjointed, but it boasts the wonderful hidden-behind-a-screen scene...Certainly, the romp has its pull when Sir Peter Teazle and Lady Teazle are arguing, patching things up and arguing again, and Linn-Baker and Cespedes are making the most of the marital rancor."
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Upstage-Downstage
April 29th, 2016

"It is a pleasure to be able to attend one of the company’s productions designed (and succeeding) solely at making us laugh...There are more twists to the convoluted plot than a pretzel on LSD, but suffice it to say, all works out happily in the end...The entire cast, under Marc Vietor’s masterly direction, is top-rate, and every little detail is nigh unto perfection...Enjoy the play for what it is – a jolly romp."
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Times Square Chronicles
April 24th, 2016

“Helen Cespedes...steals the show...The entire company deserves kudos minus Ms. Malouf who seems as if she is in a different production....Directed with wit by Mark Vietor this frothy delight weaves its tale with deliciously delightful costumes, with wigs that define a character, ever versatile sets, and lighting that sets the perfect mood. This dizzying effervescent comedic delight will make 2 l/2 hours go by just like that!”
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Broadway & Me
April 30th, 2016

“One of the most delightful shows I've seen this season...I found this satirical look at the vanities of the British upper class to be as fresh and witty as a YouTube-worthy sketch from ‘Saturday Night Live’...Director Marc Vietor keeps the balance just right with a sure-handedness that belies the fact that this is his directorial debut...The actors he's assembled are all-around superb, from those in the flashiest roles to those in the tiniest bit parts.”
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